Danaher Motion introduces the Dover MAB-100 Linear Motor Stage. The compact (63.5 mm tall x 88.9 mm wide x 266.7 mm long; 2.5 in. x 3.5 in. x 10.5 in.) MAB-100 utilizes a unique air bearing guideway to deliver precise, 100% friction-free straight-line motion up to 100 mm in length. Its non-contact design delivers improved performance as well as reduced overall cost of ownership, maintenance requirements and machine down time when compared with linear motor stages with contact components.“The MAB-100 is specifically engineered to help OEMs build a better machine, faster, by delivering precise, repeatable and reliable performance within a small footprint. As a result, this small stage is ideally suited for demanding applications in the Life Sciences, Data Storage, Semiconductor, and Factory Automation markets. And with a completely non-contact complement of components, this linear stage will not generate any particles, allowing it to meet Class 1 cleanroom standards when used with appropriate input air filtration,” says Lou Elias, Small Stages Segment Manager, Danaher Motion - Dover.The MAB-100 has no recirculating bearings or anti-creep mechanisms. As a result, motion artifacts such as friction, heat and debris that can negatively impact linear motor stage and overall machine performance are completely eliminated. Additionally, the MAB-100 is driven by a non-contact, brushless servo motor with a unique moving magnet design. This eliminates moving motor cables, enabling better packaging and improved cable service reliability. Overall benefits include reduced parts counts, less weight, a small footprint and ease of integration into machine builder and end user equipment.Position feedback is provided by a linear optical encoder with a resolution of up to 5 nanometers. The encoder features an index signal that enables precise position registration upon power-up. The read head is mounted on a stationary base, eliminating the need for moving cables that can require regular maintenance resulting in increased machine downtime. A pair of built-in, adjustable limit switches provide end of travel sensing, while rubber stops provide an additional layer of protection. The MAB-100 is also available with an embedded, high performance drive and control, which adds just 58mm to the overall length of the stage. This “Smart Stage” model (MAB-100/HRC) requires only an external 24 VDC power supply and an RS-232 serial link for communication. It can then function as an intelligent slave to a host computer over the serial interface, or it can be pre-programmed to auto-run sophisticated motion sequences as a stand-alone device. This model features 4096X encoder interpolation resulting in a resolution of 5 nanometers.MAB-100 linear motor stages have a load capacity of 2.5 kg and deliver 11 micron accuracy, with bi-directional repeatability of <0.032 microns. They keep pitch and yaw to less than ± 7 uradians (± 1.5 arc-sec), with flatness and straightness kept under ± 200 nanometers. Resolution options from 5 microns to 5 mm are available.
